By and large, these things have been good, but the guilt none-the-less picks at the back of my head. And while most of my distractions have been client related and other side projects, I have come to realize that a respectable mass driving my dissuasion, is in fact related to design.

I’ve been meaning to redesign Repeat Penguin for quite some time. There are a number of factors leading this desire that I will leave for a future post, all of which play some roll in my neglect. However, for now I think it is only fair to say that the primary reason behind this redesign has to do with context.

What does this mean? Well hopefully, it will mean better writing and more enthusiasm from my end. I launched this blog back in 2006 with the peculiar idea that this blog would be a perfect platform for an exercise in anti-design. And well, I did my best to see that through.

So along with my aim to reinvigorate my interest in this blog and return the focus to its rightful place of residence, the writing, the new design also grapples with several other areas of resistance, that have been affecting not just me, but bloggers across the Internets. It has become a true assignment of reacquaintance and I look forward to sharing my thoughts in the coming week.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter have already had a small sneak preview.

It is a rare thing, working as a designer, to have the opportunity to brand a friend. It’s a strange concept in of itself. The idea of branding a friend is an odd one, without doubt, not to mention a challenging one. None-the-less, it can be a rewarding experience and a true test for the designer.

the little MONSTER in all of us

Faced with the challenge of branding a friend, I suddenly recalled a post by Mark Bixby, that articulated the underlying essence behind brand, in one short, sweet sentence.

Just being something specific can sometimes be a powerful brand differentiator.Mark Bixby

Be something specific. A no brainer, right? There was no doubt about it, Mici is something specific. My task, was to try and capture that “something” and make it a brand?.

Branding a person, in of itself, is an odd concept, but giving yourself 3 days to do it, is absurd. At the same time, it was for me, a fantastic window, through which to explore my wonderful, witty and terribly loving friend, Mici. I am very please to introduce littlest MONSTER.

There is something to be said for making resolutions. I don’t necessarily attach these to a particular time of the year or particularly special occasion, but I do make them. Resolutions help you grow, right? At least, that’s the intention.

There has been an interesting buzz trending around the internet, for the past few weeks, that shouldn’t go unmentioned. The buzz word in this trend is critique. Whether it’s criticizing ourselves, criticizing others or criticizing how others are criticizing us, the venom is in the air. ‘Tis the season, right?

I think critique is healthy. It can be a method by which to grow, much the same as a resolution. In fact, at best, healthy critique can lead to thinking, reflection and ultimately resolution.

On December 13th, Andy Clarke stirred up the bees’ nest by calling for a disbanding of the CSS Working Group. Two days later Jeffrey Zeldman responded to Andy’s rally, with rather harsh criticism.

…Proposing change because you are disappointed and frustrated isn’t good enough. Anger can be brilliantly motivating; but anger is not a strategy.

Many others chimed in and virtually tore Andy a new one. So this, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Will this upheaval turn over fresh enthusiasm or will wounded soldiers turn away from each other, with hands stuffed in pockets?

One of Andy’s most inflated critics was Daniel Glazman, who went on to say:

…What do you think is a standardization body ? It’s a BATTLEFIELD where vendors fight for competitive advantage…

Actually, I think that was Andy’s point. That is NOT what a standardization body should be! We, as a community of developers are not pushing for standardization so that private companies can have a competitive advantage! That, in part is what we are trying to avoid. But again, this discourse was all very good. Angry, pissed off, frustrated et al., the discourse was happening. The test, in my eyes, was to see how was how Andy would respond.

I have a background in art. I know criticism. I can be a ripe asshole at times, but I can also take as well as I can give. Andy handled the attacks well and elaborated on his earlier, more top-off rant, with clarity.

There are two possible things I see coming out of this. One – A split. Developers against developers. A divide and conquer strategy that could prove valuable to proprietary browser companies. Two – A new found commitment and passion. An opening of communication channels between website developers and browser programmers.

Rivalry is in the blood of all developers. A strong belief in what you know, is part of what makes us do what we do. But, in all of this, it is important to remember pecking order. We don’t make websites so that web browsers have a purpose in life. And browser developers don’t make web browsers so that our websites have a place to live. As developers on both sides, we have the same goals. We can be pushed and pulled, but should always remember that.

I’m off to board a plane to New York. Wishing everyone the best for the new year.

And that’s where WordCamp 2007 started and stopped feeling like “camp”. This is not the YMCA.

The Skinny

After letting everything soak in for the past week, three key things from WordCamp 2007 jump out at me.

1. Blog from your heart
2. You want your readers to be like you
3. Don’t complete your thoughts

Maybe I’ve over simplified it a bit. You might as well return to writing in your 5th grade journal. Actually, after having some time to reflect, I’ve realized all 3 of these key points have 2 things in common. 1) They are all tips for the blogger. and 2) They are all points made by Lorelle VanFossen’s presentation on kick ass content. Brilliant, Lorelle.

I was a bit surprised that these three things stuck with me more than anything else in the conference. During the conference, I was much more engaged in the philosophical and cultural implications of blogging vs. journalism, in John C. Dvorak’s and Om Malik’s presentation. I think the reason is quite plain. When all is said and done, I went to WordCamp for me (as one should) and I wanted to learn how I could be a better blogger. Selfish and simple.

Highlights

WordCamp started off Saturday morning, with the practical. Dan Kuykendall, developer of PodPress gave a great presentation on Podcasting. I’m not a Podcaster, so Dan probably captured my attention the most when he started playing Weird Al’s White and Nerdy.

Once my blood was flowing (Weird Al / Excessive Caffeine), John C. Dvorak and Om Malik dumped a proverbial watermelon in our laps, with a discussion about blogging vs. journalism. This was certainly the highpoint of the conference for me. The key difference between the two, of course being comments. Oh yes, and “credibility”. And of course, this opens the same can of worms we’ve been trying to choke down for lunch, since the rise of Wikipedia.

To say the least, Lauren and I are both very involved and devoted to this discussion, so thank you John and Om, for the beautifully delivered presentation. Lauren wrote a brilliant recap on her blog An Endless Array.

Thanks also to the sponsors and organizers of WordCamp 2007. My only complaint is the seating was too hard and too few. Felt a little like detention, but that’s forgivable. The Swedish American Hall is quaint and interesting. And it strangely reminded me of scenes from Mel Brooks’ History of the World Part 1.

WordCamp 2007 Images

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t rule it entirely out, but chances are…

Anyway, this week I got to thinking, you know those moments where you just know you’re pushing things in the wrong direction? Like trying to back a car into a tent, or, I guess, pushing a cart up a hill? Sure, it might work, but chances are… Let me be the one blogger who isn’t going to talk about the iPhone or mini-feeds or Quicktime updates this week. No. I’m going to talk about something much more rudimentary and much more important to designers: inspiration (and not forcing the square peg in the round hole)

Sometimes, the absurd is the best channel for inspiration and when the peg doesn’t fit, most people will first try using force. When that fails, they will just give up. The hacker, on the other hand, will whittle the peg down so it is nice a round and will slide right in. The web developer needs to do better. The developer needs to assess the situation and understand that holes and pegs all need to work together and then come up with a set of standards.

After a week of “crap my programs don’t run after installing the Quicktime updates” (crummy, I already broke one of my promises), I thought I’d take a step back and remind everyone why they got into this industry in the first place. It’s not about computers. No really, it’s not. It’s not about designing the next big networking disaster, although at times I really need to remind myself of this. No. It’s about social change.

If you don’t agree with me, well you probably shouldn’t be working in web design. The internet is, more than anything else, a vehicle by which to affect change. Be it accessible information, nearly instant communications or even rating your local burrito stand (which by the way, is quite terrible), the internet is this. As a web designer, you shoulder a great responsibility.

The trend is growing to be ever more apparent. When 3 of the 4 applications you’re working on have pretty notable overlap and the 4th is a just a mashup of the other 3, you have to stop and wonder, are we not just backing cars into tents? The overall trend in development is barreling towards frameworks and libraries and the notion of a “freelance designer” is increasingly becoming a misnomer. As the web itself is bringing the world closer together, so too is it bringing web designers closer together. Hence, the Amish don’t make good web developers.

In 2000, there were 198,000 in the US. Of those, exactly 0 were listed as working in the field of web design. Surprising? Not in the slightest, I guess. But sometimes it just feels like there may be more out there than they would have you believe.

I’m at the edge of my seat, awaiting this weekend for WordCamp 2007. With the ever growing number of bloggers taking to the web everyday adding their 2 cents, we can expect a mighty large purse, right?

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

By the time you turn 40, you really are grown up enough to get your own place…Chronicle Books

Dear me, but I hope so, but just in case you had any doubt.

This week I’ve been working on the new blog for Chronicle Books, to celebrate their 40^th Anniversary. Here are the highlights from last nights carousal.